Smoking articles, particularly cigarettes, generally comprise a tobacco rod of shredded tobacco (also referred to as cut filler) surrounded by a paper wrapper, and a cylindrical filter aligned in an end-to-end relationship with the tobacco rod. Typically, the filter includes one or more segments of cellulose acetate tow material attached to the tobacco rod by tipping paper.
After the smoking article is consumed, the remaining tobacco rod and filter is discarded. Tobacco smoke filters, however, typically do not readily disintegrate due to the highly entangled nature of the cellulose acetate fibers, the solvents and plasticizers used to bind the fibers and crimping of the fibers.
Efforts have been expended in the past to enhance biodegradability of discarded filtered smoking articles. Despite the developments to date, there is interest in improved techniques for developing filters containing cellulose acetate fibers having an enhanced biodegradation rate.